Sharp makes a big statement with its 108-inch LCD TV

By Martin Vedris

SYDNEY: Sharp Corporation Australia’s head office is currently home to what the company proudly states is the world’s largest commercially available LCD TV. It’s not going to be on everyone’s shopping list at RRP $169,000 though, but it says a lot about Sharp.

At 250 kg, you would need quite a few mates around to help you move this Sharp LB-1085 TV into the house. And don’t try to wall mount it unless you have already engineered and reinforced the wall to take the weight.

This TV is manufactured at Sharp’s Kameyama Plant in Japan. The panel measures 2,382 mm x 1,340 mm, making it the largest LCD TV/monitor commercially available anywhere in the world.

If you’ve ever seen Cars the Pixar movie on an LCD, chances are you haven’t seen it like this. The viewing area is approximately 3.2 square metres. It is Full HD (1,920 x 1,080p) utilising what Sharp calls a ASV Low Reflection Black TFT LCD. In other words, you get no reflection from the screen.

It has a 176 degree field of vision and at a maximum colour display of approximately 758 million colours, which is reportedly the widest colour range available on a Sharp LCD TV/Monitor.

The market is clearly in an inverse proportion to the size of the TV, but you’d expect that at $169,000 (although you could get it for less if you order more than one).

This is going to be largely (no pun intended) aimed at the commercial market, with the MCG and other sporting and commercial venues apparently queuing up to see it. And the company said today that it had already sold six.

It is designed to be able to run 24 hours a day without “losing any vividness of image quality”. The metal chassis is designed to dissipate heat. It also has no fan, which makes it quieter, and I would imagine means less energy consumption as well. It has a relatively low power consumption of 1,130 watts.

What does this TV say about Sharp though? You cannot underestimate Sharp, the company is a potential giant in Australia, as it is in many other markets around the world where it holds a leading market share.